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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27639064">Xiao De Jun and his Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fifteen_half/pseuds/fifteen_half'>fifteen_half</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Hunters, Gen, Monsters, Supernatural Hunters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:28:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,499</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27639064</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fifteen_half/pseuds/fifteen_half</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Wait, I was put on a team with Jeno and Jaemin?” Xiaojun asked, eyes wide in disbelief. Slumping in defeat, he moaned, “This is gonna be a disaster! How did this even happen?!”</p>
<p>As Yangyang patted his back in commiseration, Renjun laughed, “What’s wrong with Jeno and Jaemin? It’ll be fun!”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lee Jeno &amp; Na Jaemin, Lee Jeno &amp; Na Jaemin &amp; Xiao De Jun, Lee Jeno &amp; Xiao De Jun, Na Jaemin &amp; Xiao De Jun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>116</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Xiao De Jun and his Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Wait, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> was put on a team with Jeno and Jaemin?” Xiaojun asked, eyes wide in disbelief. Slumping in defeat, he moaned, “This is gonna be a disaster! How did this even happen?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Yangyang patted his back in commiseration, Renjun laughed, “What’s wrong with Jeno and Jaemin? It’ll be fun!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun whipped his head towards the other healer and glared. Renjun, the devil child that he was, only laughed harder, “What?! I seriously don’t understand why you’re acting as if they’re terrifying! You’re lucky it’s them and not those dumbasses who don’t know what they’re doing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He should have expected this from Renjun, honestly. The younger boy had graduated along with the notorious two </span>
  <em>
    <span>before </span>
  </em>
  <span>they became notorious. Renjun was already used to them, had been part of their team multiple times. Xiaojun, because he graduated after, was more familiar with their reputation than the actual persons themselves. Why couldn’t he have been put on a team with Donghyuck and Mark instead? Or even Jisung and Chenle? At least he was more comfortable with them, had spent time with them hanging out, but Jeno and Jaemin?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For what it’s worth,” Yangyang said, his normally mischievous attitude thankfully absent, “I totally feel you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Renjun just looked at them in genuine confusion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just,” he started, “Those two are… you know! They’re not just good at combat. They’re great at strategy, at quick thinking, at practically </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Whenever they’re together they have this bright, golden aura around them that just screams DO NOT DISTURB. I’m supposed to be the healer but how am I supposed to do that properly if I can’t fit in?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you’re telling me,” Renjun said, frowning, “that you, Xiao Dejun, the top healer of your batch, is intimidated by a guy who acts like a puppy and a guy who squeals at everything cute?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun groaned, “You don’t understand at all!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At least Yangyang agreed with him. The other boy was nodding fiercely after he said that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not as if that’s how they act all the time,” Yangyang pointed out, “Outside the Dream Team,” Renjun laughed at the nickname, because of course being labeled as an all-star team is something to laugh at, “they’re silent, reserved. Jeno would smile along with you at least, but Jaemin?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun nodded passionately, “You know how I was recently in a seven-man team with him, right? It was a month long mission but not once was I able to casually talk with him. He only really talked to Jaehyun-hyung and Doyong-hyung, sometimes Lucas too but then Lucas is Lucas and everybody likes Lucas so he doesn’t really count.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He was preparing for another mission right after though. He must’ve been more tired than usual,” Renjun pointed out, although he did acquiesce, “But I guess he can get really, really, really quiet at times. It’s normal.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, but his ‘normal’ mode can get pretty intimidating,” Xioajun complained, “It’s the same with Jeno.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Renjun frowned in disbelief, “In what way?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you </span>
  <em>
    <span>seen </span>
  </em>
  <span>them, Renjun?!” he exclaimed, “They might be all smiles and sunshine to you but to us outsiders, they look cold and intimidating. We don’t see them act the way you have, you know!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s because you haven’t had the chance to!” Renjun exclaimed right back, “And now you will! And what are you talking about? Outsiders? You? You’ve graduated too, just like them. We’re part of the same organization now, Xiaojun. You don’t have to be nervous around them. It’ll be fine!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun could only sigh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was bound to happen sooner or later. He just didn’t expect it to happen so soon though.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Huang Renjun was a liar and a scam. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’ll be fine, he said?! He’ll have fun, he claimed? As if! They were currently interviewing witnesses and the two younger agents were speaking as if they shared the same mind. He couldn’t keep up at all!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The only fortunate thing about this was the two were scarily efficient at their job. If things went smoothly, he probably wouldn’t need to work at all, something that irked at Xiaojun because he hated feeling useless. It was a far cry from his missions with other agents. If he were here with Hendery and Yangyang for example, the three of them would’ve tried to push all the work to one person before actually starting to work. Kun and Ten would bicker constantly until Kun became frustrated enough that he’d do most of the work himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeno, he found, was the meticulous type. The combat agent immediately went to work as soon as they hit the field. And while Jaemin looked unenthused about the whole thing, something that disturbed Xiaojun during his recent mission with the other combat agent, Jeno didn’t care about that at all. But then of course he wouldn’t. These two were notorious for their ability to work like a well-oiled machine, able to successfully complete four-man missions by themselves with no problems.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If only this mission didn’t require a healer! And if only the healer wasn’t himself…! Why couldn’t it have been Renjun who was already well accustomed to working with these two?!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have it. I have it! I know what it is!” Jaemin suddenly exclaimed, his eyes lightning up in a way Xiaojun hadn’t seen before, “The witness said the monster was foul smelling right? She said it was tall and gangly and moaned a lot, right? Right? Well,” he said, suddenly looking conspiratory, “Did you notice her husband behind her? How he was giving us strange looks? Did you notice how he’s also tall? And gangly? And smelly?! It’s him. It has to be him!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While Xiaojun was in the midst of trying to piece together Jaemin’s thought process, because what the hell? Hadn’t they already established it was a monster? The huge claw marks on their door indicated that! Jeno, on the other hand, expertly brushed off Jaemin’s claims, “Focus, please. Just because you didn’t like how he was looking at us, doesn’t mean it’s him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaemin easily shrugged, “Might’ve fooled me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Jeno narrowed his eyes at Jaemin, the younger man relented. Then he sighed, turned to Xiaojun, and asked, “Sounds like a wendigo to me. What do you think, hyung?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a second there, Xiaojun thought he’d be asked to back up his claims about the husband. But because of that, he stuttered when he replied, “I… uh, well. It’s possible?” he finished weakly, instantly hating himself. They haven't even finished compiling their data, how had they already thought of a wendigo? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s outside a wendigo’s hunting behavior though,” Jeno pointed out, “Wendigos normally wouldn’t go out of the forest. And we hadn’t had reports of a wendigo here either.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know it’s a wendigo, Jeno,” Jaemin said with absolute conviction, “I swear on Jisung’s cheeks, it is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeno didn’t even bat an eye at that when he replied, “I guess it could be. Might be one that's newly turned.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or,” Xioajun piped up, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>whoa </span>
  </em>
  <span>having the duo stare at him so keenly like that was not good for his heart, “It could’ve been hibernating all this time. I researched the history of this place a bit before coming here. While they were reclaiming the forest to expand the town, there were reports of workers mysteriously vanishing in the forest. There have been a couple of missing cases too, over the years, although it's strange because they've all been dropped."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two of them looked at each for a second, before Jeno smiled, his eyes turning into crescents, “That’s amazing, hyung. I thought this just was another run-of-the-mill case. I didn’t think about researching outside the given dossier. Thank you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So it is a wendigo, right? I was right!” Jaemin exclaimed, his high energy surprising Xiaojun, “Did the reports mention where they went missing, hyung?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun fought the urge to step back when the younger agent </span>
  <em>
    <span>leaned</span>
  </em>
  <span> towards him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um, well, uh, you see, since they were, uh, developing this town, I mean,” he really had to get used to them quickly or else he’ll regret this until his dying day, “Since they were reclaiming the forest, then it’s probably part of the town now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We just need to find its lair anyway,” Jeno said, ending Xiaojun’s embarrassment, “For now, let’s go back first.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Research?” Jaemin whined.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeno slapped the other hard, “What’re you whining about? You like to research.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I only like going to our library ‘cause the coffee’s good, Jeno-yah.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Idiot.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, Xiaojun thought, things could’ve been better but it hadn’t been so bad. So far.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jaemin, Xiaojun found, was extremely good at analysis and formulating convincing conjectures. Unfortunately, however, the other agent had the attention span of a goldfish.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaemin-ah, focus please. Why do you think the wendigo’s lair isn’t a cave?” Jeno asked, picking Jaemin’s brain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I never said it wasn’t a cave,” he answered, “I said it’s not in the forest.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And?” Jeno prodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Jaemin could reply, Xiaojun interjected, “It’s hunting ground was reclaimed, though. It must have moved further into the forest.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaemin nodded, “That’s true, hyung,” and then he looked distracted again, “But it doesn’t sound right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Jeno actually pondered on that, Xioajun fought the urge to sigh. Jaemin’s theory that the wendigo’s lair was within the town due to its behavioral differences sounded plausible but because there was no evidence of this, they were only wasting their time trying to find a lair inside the town that didn’t exist. In the first place, the town had nothing that even remotely resembled a cave.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So he said, “I think we should focus on the forest for now. I’ve marked the nearest caves around the town. We should investigate those first.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun was half expecting the two of them to disagree but they both agreed easily enough.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll pack,” Jaemin volunteered, already standing up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll leave in twenty, Jaemin-ah! Don’t make us wait or else I’m calling Mark-hyung!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaemin turned around and pouted, “You’re no fun, Jeno.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeno only laughed, “Get going, slowpoke!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going, I’m going!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeno was still laughing as he finished compiling their research. As he watched, Xiaojun couldn’t help but ask, “How… uh, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to but, how long have you and Jaemin known each other?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me and Jaemin?” Jeno repeated. He looked confused by the sudden question and when the younger agent tilted his head to express it, Xiaojun couldn’t help but remember Renjun’s description of Jeno. It was amazingly accurate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm… we came to the company at the same time so,” he answered, “About seven years?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That surprised Xiaojun. It must have shown on his face because Jeno chuckled, “Did you think we were childhood friends?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did,” he agreed. Everyone thought they were.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeno laughed, “Other agents we’ve worked with thought we were siblings, even. But I guess we are childhood friends, in a sense,” he said, “Jaemin and I were recruited at a very young age, after all. The five of us— Mark-hyung, Donghyuck, Jisung, Jaemin and I. We were the youngest at that time. So we naturally drifted to each other. Jaemin and I just met each other first, that’s all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Renjun came not long after that, didn’t he?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeno nodded, “Renjun was very quiet then,” all ‘cursed’ children were, when they first arrived, he himself had been the same way, “But then he somehow turned into a spiteful little thing,” Jeno laughed, “I seriously don’t know where we went wrong with him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun shared in the laughter as well, “I thought it was Donghyuck’s influence,” but after spending a few days with Jeno and Jaemin, he said, “But I think it’s a combination of all five of you. You were very good to him, when others were not.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun wanted to say thank you, because it was Renjun and Chenle who made a huge impact in his life, but that was embarrassing so he smiled sincerely instead, hoping it would convey what his words could not.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeno coughed and tried to cover the blush on his cheeks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A puppy, Renjun had said. At least he was right about <em>that</em>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We would easily die without your abilities, hyung,” he said, not looking at Xiaojun, “Healers aren’t a curse but a gift. Jaemin and I can’t tolerate anyone who thinks otherwise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All of a sudden, Xiaojun remembered how the two of them had almost hidden him behind their backs the entire time they were on site, how they asked him to talk to the more willing witnesses, how Jaemin claimed that the man who had been openly glaring at them, at </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>, was a monster.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How awful was he to think that the two were doing that because they didn’t want his help? That they only needed each other and didn’t want him around?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun took a shaky breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Because, god fucking dammit! Why were these kids so damn sweet?!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun was the monster before coming here. Now that he was meeting so many people who thought otherwise well…! He definitely had to pay them back.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>By the time they finished scouring all the caves and tunnels near the town, two more had gone missing. It was safe to say that Xiaojun became a lot more unwelcomed after that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Could it not be a wendigo?” he asked as he poured over their notes, “Maybe we were wrong?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeno was pacing back and forth in their rented motel, thinking hard. He shook his head, “It can’t be anything else. All eye witness descriptions match a wendigo.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But the behavior is all wrong. Wendigos normally attack hikers. Or they lure people into the woods. They don’t hunt inside heavily populated towns. They don’t leave claw marks in houses! Maybe… maybe it’s a new monster? Something we don’t know about.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were both silent for a moment, and then Jeno nodded and said hesitantly, “I… I guess we should go back to base. See if we can dig something up. It might be a summons too. Which would explain why the behavior is so different. Or a chimera,” Jeno shuddered at that, “Though I sure hope it isn’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun, after being glared at, questioned and screamed for days now, was very, very much ready to leave. Of course he wanted to end this, and he didn’t want any more lives to be lost, but a guy can only take so much dislike, right. And he was nearing his limit. If he stayed any longer, he might just start yelling back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you call Jaemin?” he asked Jeno, “He was only supposed to get food, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeno nodded and bit his lip. He looked worried.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He doesn’t usually take this long.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pulling up his phone, the younger agent began to call Jaemin. The first attempt was a missed call. So was second and third.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The lost look Jeno sent his way was enough for Xiaojun’s protective instincts to flare. He found himself instinctually standing up as he walked towards Jeno and gathered the younger man in his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay, it’ll be fine,” he said, and he hoped to god it would, “Jaemin is strong, isn’t he? He’ll be fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s stupid though,” Jeno said, stepping away but smiling gratefully at Xiaojun, “And really, really reckless.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaemin is?” Xiaojun asked, surprised. Jaemin was the chillest, most carefree agent he’s ever met. How could he be reckless?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaeminie’s instincts are very, very sharp,” Jeno explained, “To him, it’s not recklessness because he’s sure. But to us… well, whenever he gets that way he almost, always ends up in the infirmary. He’s almost, always right though.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s why you take him seriously, even though his conjectures are… strange.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeno snorted, “Strange? Try ridiculous. He knows it for sure, but he’s never able to explain it properly. It’s why I keep on picking his brain. We’ve tried to figure it out before but we found nothing. We’ve all just accepted it as part of what makes Jaemin, Jaemin.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think he might be cursed— I mean,” he corrected himself, because that wasn’t who they were, not anymore, and not ever, “He might be gifted, maybe?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Jeno shook his head, “We’ve tested. Jaemin is just naturally weird.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun snorted, “Are you sure the two of you are friends?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just as you, Yangyang and Hendery-hyung are, hyung,” Jeno laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Good point. He can’t count the number of times he’d dissed his friends either.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think… I should go look for him. Hyung could stay here, to wait if he returns.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you even know where to go, Jeno?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeno shrugged, “I’ll go to the restaurant he said he’d go to. If he’s not there, then I’ll ask around.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, but call every fifteen minutes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will. I’ll be careful, hyung.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just as Jeno was about to pack away his gun, the door suddenly burst open, startling the two into action. Jeno immediately pointed his gun at the door while Xiaojun dodged the line of fire, cursing himself for being careless.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t a threat though. It was Jaemin himself, his head, arms and right leg, all bleeding heavily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the fuck, Nana?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeno’s yell startled Xiaojun into action. Both of them ran towards the injured agent but as Xiaojun was preparing to heal him, Jaemin took his hands and shook his head. In an urgent voice, he said, “We need to get out of here. Right now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But—,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Car?” Jeno asked, already a blur of action.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Safe. For now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A nod from Jeno then, “Xiaojun-hyung, I’ll pack up. Please assist Jaemin into the car.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jeno—,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine. I’m fine,” Jaemin soothed, and damn this wasn’t Xioajun’s first rodeo but these two were experts at flustering him weren’t they, “Let’s just go to the car.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Supporting Jaemin who was leaning on him heavily, Xiaojun worriedly asked, “Are you sure? You’re bruising already, Jaemin-ah. If it’s an internal injury I need to heal it right now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaemin nodded, “Let’s just get to the car first, hyung. Jeno will pack up and drive.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately, before they even touched the door, they saw a towering, gangly figure running towards them. Xiaojun blanched, his heart thudding in fear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What was the wendigo doing out here?!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck!” Jaemin suddenly cursed, “Jeno-yah, get the hell out here!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaemin-ah, what the hell is going on?!” Xiaojun asked in panic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaemin couldn’t answer. As soon as Jaemin had yelled for Jeno, the other agent must have dropped everything and ran outside, “Jaemin-ah!” Jeno yelled, throwing a gun in the air.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And as if they practiced it, Jaemin smoothly caught the gun, released the safety and began to shoot. Jeno quickly followed afterwards, both of them hitting the monster accurately.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it was a wendigo. It was impervious to everything except fire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s the residents, hyung, Jeno,” Jaemin suddenly started to explain, “The original ones. The ones who were here before they expanded the town. They’re worshipping the wendigo,” he said, “And they were sacrificing residents to it every month.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...what?” Xiaojun asked, horrified.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In his surprise, Xiaojun nearly got decapitated by the monster. If it weren’t for Jeno’s fast reflexes, he’d be a goner by now. Despite being injured, Jaemin kicked the wendigo away, far enough that Jeno was able to grab the back of Xiaojun’s coat, opened the car door and practically threw him inside. Jaemin followed up his kick with gunshots, firing volley after volley allowing Jeno to get in the car and start it up. As soon as Jeno started the car, he slammed on the gas and drove it straight to the wendigo. Jaemin took this chance to jump into the car as Jeno reversed and booked it out of there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Like a well-oiled machine, indeed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Relatively safe in the car, at least as long as Jeno was able to evade the wendigo, Xiaojun took the opportunity to start healing Jaemin’s injuries. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, hyung,” Jaemin said, his chest heaving in exhaustion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All cursed children were able to take life and give life back. This was why they were called this way, because without learning control, they could easily, accidentally, cause another person’s death. And because people feared the unknown and because their abilities were so closely related to death, to the monsters the world feared, a modern witch hunt had happened, was still happening. Their organization had saved them, was continuing to save people like him, but after living their lives in constant fear, most of them had traumas that ran deep. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was why Xiaojun would forever be grateful to people like Jeno and Jaemin, who were able to look past the prejudice and fear, into who he was as a person. He really, really wanted to properly do his job but these two just had to make things difficult for him, didn’t they?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t thank me yet,” Xiaojun gritted out, “How did you even get this injured?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They spiked my coffee,” Jaemin glumly replied, “When I woke up, I was tied up in a room, surrounded. I saw the wendigo there. It was,” he said, shaking his head, “It was eating the last missing person. It was working with the town officials, can you believe that?! And then they started spouting bullshit about ‘cursed children’, that they had to ‘cleanse’ me before sacrificing me to their ‘god’,” Jaemin tsked, “It was all very surreal. I honestly thought I was trapped by a djin at first!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A fine job they did ‘cleansing’ you,” Jeno grunted, turning the wheel violently to avoid another swipe, “Should’ve started with your face though!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too, Jeno Lee!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun sighed before deliberately pressing on Jaemin’s ribs just a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> harder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ow! Hyung!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Quiet, you,” he threatened, “I’m trying to save your life, so please stay still.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Staying still now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good. And you,” he said, glaring at Jeno, “Eyes forward please.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeno laughed, but he nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I need to ask though—</span>
  <em>
    <span>whoa</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Jeno exclaimed, as he successfully swerved the car to avoid another jump from the wendigo. Xiaojun was so glad the other agent was a great driver. Jaemin, on the other hand, was gritting his teeth in pain after being jostled violently like that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry! Sorry!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You okay?” Xiaojun gently asked, worried, his hands still working on healing. One of the most frustrating things about this ability was that it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>easy</span>
  </em>
  <span> to take a life. Healing someone was a lot more difficult and time-consuming.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaemin nodded, “It’s not that serious, I think.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun rolled his eyes. Renjun had told him not to believe these two when it came to injuries. Their tolerance to pain was above average, he’d said. And he was right. Jaemin’s leg was practically broken. How in the world did this kid manage to walk like that? His chest was all black and blue too! It was a miracle he was even breathing properly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaemin-ah,” he said, “It is very serious. How did you even get back to the motel like this?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wasn’t that far, the place where they took me, where they kept the wendigo,” Jaemin answered, “It’s in the basement of the Town Hall. Ironic, right? We were there so many times for research. The answer was literally right under our noses!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaemin actually had the gall to laugh at that. Jeno too, because these two were weirdly telepathic. Xiaojun was about to tell them both off but before he could, Jeno announced, “Sending distress signal to base,” he said, “Hopefully, they’ll get here before the townsmen moves the wendigo. Or hides it.”</span>
</p>
<p>"Good, I left the flare gun under the Town Hall," Jaemin supplied sheepishly, "The other guns are probably<span>—,"</span></p>
<p>"Back at the motel," Jeno finished, sighing.</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a split second. Jeno had taken his eyes off the road for a split second to send the signal when the wendigo caught up to them again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun couldn’t even yell out a warning as the monster slammed into the side of the car, throwing it completely off the road. The car was flipped over from the impact. And as the car rolled into a stop, Xiaojun’s last thought was, ‘I failed’.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...should have just left us alone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We were living in peace…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We would have let you live, but you brought an abomination into our town,” a hit and a grunt, “And that is unforgivable.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ab… abomination?” Jeno’s tired voice echoed inside what must be the Town Hall’s basement, “The only… monster here… is you,” he spat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Xiaojun heard flesh hitting flesh, his eyes flew open only to see Jeno glaring fiercely at their captors even as his head, lips and nose were bleeding. Xiaojun frantically looked around, his eyes briefly pausing at the wendigo seemingly purring at an elder man’s feet, before stopping on an unconscious Jaemin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This one’s awake,” the man said, catching the attention of everyone in the room, “Let’s not take this any longer. I don’t want to breathe the same air as this thing. It reeks.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck you!” Jeno yelled, straining against the ropes binding him to the wall, “If anything’s reeking it’s the rotting flesh of that monster at your feet, you ignorant, self-obsessed—,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jeno!” he hurriedly interrupted, fearing for Jeno’s life, “It’s fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The elder man, who Xiaojun recognized as the town’s mayor, smiled at Jeno as he patted the wendigo on its head, “You should listen to your,” he sneered, disgusted, “friend, Jeno-sshi. For a cursed child, he sure is wise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I swear, the moment I get out of here, you and this shitty town—,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jeno-yah, stop it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hyung—!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can do anything to me,” Xiaojun hurriedly said to the mayor, desperate to save Jeno and Jaemin because that was his fucking job, “But let them go. Please just let them go.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let them go?” the mayor repeated incredulously, “Do you think you have any right to negotiate with me? You’re not even human!” he exclaimed, almost in hysterics, “The fact that you’ve lived this long is appalling to me! Who could stand a child of misfortune?” he asked as he spat, “The devil, that’s who. Your two friends will die just like you. As all evil should.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In a turn of events, Jaemin’s laughter suddenly rang around the room. Whipping his head in that direction, Xiaojun was stunned to see the other agent, already free from his binds, with a flare gun in his hand, pointed directly at the mayor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had a huge grin on his face as he asked, “How have not learned your lesson?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the mayor’s face contorted in unbridled anger, the wendigo leapt through the air, straight towards Jaemin. As Xiaojun yelled at Jaemin to run away, the other agent calmly and suredly fired the gun directly at the wendigo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The monster was pushed back by the force of the hit before promptly burning up as the bullet from the flare gun exploded. It wasn’t an ordinary flare gun in the first place. It was a bullet specially designed for monsters like this one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All the townsmen in the room stared at their dying ‘god’ in horror. When Jaemin expertly snatched a gun from the captor nearest him and fired quick, accurate shots to set both him and Jeno free, he caught everyone's attention, prompting them to direct all their anger at the very much still injured younger agent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While he was still gathering his bearings, Jeno was already on his feet, running towards Jaemin who was struggling to fend off the furious townsmen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were at a disadvantage in terms of numbers but even so, Jeno and Jaemin, like the well-oiled machine they were known to be, fought like they were dancing. When Jaemin dodged, Jeno followed up with a punch straight to the jaw. When Jeno swiped someone off the ground, Jaemin would make sure that they stayed down. They protected each other, covered each others’ backs. Xiaojun would’ve been intimidated by this if he wasn’t so desperate to keep them all alive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Jaemin went down, coughing up blood after a hard blow at his side, Jeno and Xiaojun looked at each other before standing guard over the agent. The townsmen, knowing that they’ve cornered them, stopped as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking as if he was about to gloat, the mayor was opening his mouth to speak when he was effectively stopped by a hard blow to the head. One by one more agents poured into the basement until all their attackers were on their knees in surrender.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hell of a job you three did,” Kun said after making sure the mayor was out of commission, “On yourselves, that is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On any other occasion, Xiaojun would’ve started bickering with the elder agent. Right now though, his mind was too preoccupied with making sure Jaemin at least made it out of here alive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Xiaojun started to heal the younger agent, Jaemin smiled up at him through bloodied teeth, “We’re fine now, hyung. You can relax—,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaemin-ah,” Xiaojun interrupted, giving the younger man the most sinister smile he could muster, “If I hear you get so much as a scratch on your cheek on your next mission I will lock you up in your room until the end of the fucking year, you hear me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaemin gulped and timidly nodded, “Got it, hyung.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeno tried to snicker quietly but he turned to him too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you!” he yelled, even as he continued with healing, “If you do something as reckless as your counterpart, I will not hesitate to lock you up with Jaemin!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“N-noted, hyung,” was Jeno’s meek reply.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Satisfied, Xiaojun muttered angrily, “Damned kids and their damned bleeding hearts always getting into damned trouble.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seeing that no one was going to acknowledge him, Kun sighed. Then he smiled, “Good work guys. Now let’s go back home.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Three days after the wendigo case found Xiaojun at the canteen, staring balefully at the terrible two who were both loudly laughing at whatever Jisung had said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why do you look so pissed off?” Hendery asked as he ate, “Were they actually terrible teammates?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” he replied sullenly, “They’re great.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because they’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> supposed to be out of the infirmary yet!” he gritted out, glaring at the two, “Jaemin’s leg was </span>
  <em>
    <span>broken</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His ribs were heavily bruised! Jeno’s clavicle was dislocated! Why are they here?! How did they get here even!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I saw you glaring from a mile away,” Renjun suddenly appeared, sitting down next to them, “So I ambled my way here. What’s up?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re very concerned,” Donghyuck added, even though his smile looked mischievous instead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mark only sighed in defeat as he also sat down next to them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jeno and Jaemin,” Xiaojun began in utter seriousness, “Are downright terrifying. How can you stand being on the same team as them?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At that, Renjun, Donghyuck and Mark all burst into laughter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re reckless! They don’t know when to give up or give in! They kept on treating me like I was some sort of precious jewel or something and it was nice, fine, but it stressed me out! Do they not have any sense of self-preservation?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Renjun patted him consolingly on the back, “They do. They do have a line they don’t cross, we just don’t understand it, that’s all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And that too!” he said passionately, “Are they really not gifted? The way they moved as if they knew where the other would be… I’ve never seen anything like it. They don’t even need to communicate with words. They just know. I even caught them doing the same things at the same time, multiple times! It was creepy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mark frowned, “They’re just well-attuned to each other,” he said, confused, “What’s so strange about that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t mind him,” Donghyuck said, shushing Mark, “Jeno and Jaemin have always been little angels in Mark-hyung’s eyes when they’re actually the Grady Twins from the Shining.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Mark snorted, Donghyuck continued, “The most mysterious thing about it is that they don’t even notice it. I mean, I get that they’re best friends but they’re just on another level.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But seriously though,” Renjun asked, “How was it? Working with our power duo? Do they still intimidate you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Xiaojun didn’t even need to think about it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They do,” he answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Because there was something very different, very special, about them, something that he couldn’t understand, could never hope to, would never want to either. Xiaojun, however, couldn’t deny that they were impossibly kind. Perhaps their coldness was all a front, so that they could protect their hearts better. But then again, they could just be naturally shy (Jeno) or excessively carefree (Jaemin).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Either way, he had to admit that, “It was fun though.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Renjun’s smile widened in victory, Xiaojun added, “Aside from being nearly sacrificed, I did have fun. They’re weird and have this really weird obsession with puns, and I sometimes felt way out of depth, but it was fun.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See, I told you so!” Renjun crowed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Xiaojun agreed, “But it still doesn't change the fact that they're absolutely terrifying.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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